Science News Today — Latest Discoveries
The latest science news today — research, discoveries and breakthroughs, explained simply and updated continuously on Plax.
AI-assisted math advance highlights gap between finding answers and judging their significance
AI models are good at finding answers to mathematical puzzles but are not as good at research judgment, according to theoretical computer scientists.
Phys.org · 14 Oct, 08:50 pmInternational business is influenced by local political climate, study finds
A new study co-authored by Tang Yinuo, a tenured associate professor at Peking University HSBC Business School (PHBS), reveals that conservative communities in the U.S. are more likely to resist mergers and acquisitions (M&As) by Chinese co…
Phys.org · 14 Oct, 08:40 pmWide-scale cropland loss has consequences for wildfire resilience in the American West
The western U.S. is facing parallel and escalating hazards in the form of ongoing drought and increasingly frequent wildfires. Although the region's ecosystems have evolved with wildfires, the intensity and frequency of blazes where people…
Phys.org · 14 Oct, 08:40 pmMollusk family trees play a key role in shaping microbiomes, researchers find
A mollusk's microbial community has more to do with its family tree than its address. In other words, the composition of a mollusk's microbiome depends less on the environment in which it lives and more on what species it belongs to, say Un…
Phys.org · 14 Oct, 08:30 pmExamining fraud prevention in federal relief programs
SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) assistant professor of accounting Dr. Katie Matt, in collaboration with Daniel Hebert of Syracuse University, recently published research examining the widespread fraud associated with the federal Payc…
Phys.org · 14 Oct, 08:30 pmNew framework links magnetic phase boundaries to string-like defects in spin ice
A research team led by Haruki Watanabe, a professor in the Department of Physics and the Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), in collaboration with professor Yukitoshi…
Phys.org · 14 Oct, 08:20 pmJob loss and AI-exposed jobs: Q&A with sociology professor
Jennie Brand, a UCLA professor of sociology with an appointment in statistics and data science, is an expert on the socioeconomic effects of job loss, including the long-term economic, psychological, physiological and intergenerational effe…
Phys.org · 14 Oct, 08:00 pmLearning reshapes inhibitory synapses differently within the same nerve cell, study suggests
Our brain must be able to learn new things without losing previously stored information or the stability of its networks. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN) in Magdeburg, together with partners in Bielefeld and Zuri…
Phys.org · 14 Oct, 08:00 pmRare particle decays hint at deviations from Standard Model predictions
Studying rare processes is part and parcel of particle physics, providing stringent tests of the Standard Model. At the recent International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP), the CMS and LHCb collaborations presented their latest r…
Phys.org · 14 Oct, 07:50 pmSheep grazing in solar fields offers farmers economic, ecological gains
Two new research papers shed light on the growing practice of grazing sheep in fields with solar arrays. One demonstrates that, in the right numbers, sheep grazing increases populations of beneficial insects like bees and lady beetles compa…
Phys.org · 14 Oct, 07:40 pmSuperheavy-element compound reveals weaker-than-expected bond due to relativistic effects
An international collaboration led by a research group from GSI/FAIR in Darmstadt, Germany, has achieved the first measurement of the chemical stability of a superheavy element compound.
Phys.org · 14 Oct, 07:40 pmPatchier permafrost is linked to more intense hillslope erosion in Alaska
The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the globe, and scientists are racing to understand how that fact affects the region's landscapes and ecosystems. Permafrost thaw is one of the most visible signs of climate change, wi…
Phys.org · 14 Oct, 07:20 pmScientists reveal why some workout recovery tricks can backfire
Ice baths, massages, compression garments, and recovery supplements promise faster muscle recovery, but research suggests their benefits are often overstated, and some techniques may even undermine long-term gains. Scientists say the most e…
Science Daily · 14 Oct, 12:04 pmCornell scientists identify rare human genetic disorder in two unusually long-legged cats
Two unusually long-legged cats have helped scientists uncover the first genetically confirmed cases of Marfan syndrome in domestic felines. Researchers at Cornell University discovered that the brothers carried two altered copies of a gene…
Science Daily · 14 Oct, 11:56 amThe secret to easier exercise as an adult may start in childhood
Exercise during childhood could have a surprising lifelong benefit, potentially making physical activity less exhausting in adulthood. In a study involving guinea fowl, researchers discovered that birds accustomed to carrying weights while…
Science Daily · 14 Oct, 11:36 amScientists may have overlooked a hidden Alzheimer's culprit for decades
For decades, scientists have focused on amyloid beta as a major culprit behind Alzheimer’s disease, spending billions of dollars developing treatments that have often delivered disappointing results. Now, researchers at UC Santa Cruz are dr…
Science Daily · 14 Oct, 11:06 amScientists may have finally solved the mystery of the Moon’s two faces
Scientists may have solved a long-standing mystery about why the Moon’s two sides are so different, using samples collected from its farside for the first time. Their findings suggest that uneven heating from Earth's gravitational pull drov…
Science Daily · 14 Oct, 10:38 amScientists discover how harmful “zombie cells” hide from the immune system
Scientists have discovered a protein that may help harmful aging cells hide from the immune system, allowing them to accumulate and fuel age-related health problems. Blocking the protein in mice reduced these cells and inflammation while im…
Science Daily · 14 Oct, 10:17 amGigantic prehistoric snake discovered in India may have been one of the largest ever
A massive prehistoric snake discovered in India may have rivaled the largest snake ever known. Called Vasuki indicus, the 47-million-year-old giant could have reached up to 50 feet long, making it comparable to the legendary Titanoboa. Scie…
Science Daily · 14 Oct, 05:44 amAI can act exactly like a human, but we still don't think it's conscious
A new study reveals that people draw a surprisingly sharp line between human consciousness and artificial intelligence, even when both behave identically. Researchers found that participants considered even the most responsive AI less consc…
Science Daily · 14 Oct, 01:41 amA planet 320 light-years away confirms what scientists long suspected
Astronomers have discovered that a scorching-hot planet 320 light-years away shares a striking chemical similarity with its host star, providing the first direct evidence for a fundamental assumption about planet formation. The breakthrough…
Science Daily · 14 Oct, 12:24 amAI reveals a hidden chemical shortcut that could turn CO2 into fuel
Scientists used artificial intelligence to uncover nearly 10,000 chemical reactions involved in transforming carbon dioxide into fuels and chemicals, revealing crucial pathways that traditional models had missed. The discovery dramatically…
Science Daily · 14 Oct, 12:01 am210-million-year-old dinosaur discovery reveals a lost world in Africa
A newly identified 210-million-year-old dinosaur from Zimbabwe is helping scientists uncover a surprisingly distinct prehistoric ecosystem. The discovery suggests that ancient climate differences may have separated dinosaur populations acro…
Science Daily · 13 Oct, 10:53 pmJames Webb reveals a massive cosmic structure that challenges our understanding of the Universe
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed an ancient galaxy cluster with an unexpectedly dense concentration of dark matter, challenging theories about how the universe developed. The discovery also uncovered a surprising connection be…
Science Daily · 13 Oct, 11:27 am